<p>Bengaluru: While auto unions urge the government to raise the minimum fare to Rs 50 to offset rising LPG prices, commuters say ride aggregator platforms have already raised fares.</p>.<p>Many commuters said app-based auto fares are now 30 to 40% higher than regular rates.</p>.<p>"Lately, there has been no difference between the outrageous fares that auto drivers demand and the fares displayed on app aggregator platforms. A 9-km ride from Vasanthnagar to Koramangala, which usually costs around Rs 170, has been costing over Rs 250 for the past two weeks. That is a big jump, and I can feel its impact on my monthly budget," said 23-year-old marketing professional Vaishali M.</p>.<p>On Tuesday evening, the same ride cost Rs 263 on Rapido, Rs 217 on Ola, Rs 220 on Uber, and Rs 204 on Namma Yatri.</p>.<p>On Monday evening, the same platforms, except Ola, displayed fares between Rs 220 and Rs 260 for an 8-km ride from MG Road to RT Nagar, against the average fare of Rs 170 to Rs 180. Ola displayed a fare of Rs 157, but no autos were available at that price.</p>.<p><strong>Users turn to AI tools </strong></p>.<p>To cope with rising fares, commuters have started using AI tools and third-party platforms to compare rates across aggregators.</p>.<p>"I was so frustrated with constantly having three to four apps open in an attempt to book an auto that I turned to AI for help. After some digging, I came across this platform called 'Buyhatke', which provides a comprehensive list of fares across all platforms once you feed it the location. That has been very helpful," said 29-year-old IT employee Kanishk Jain.</p>.<p>He added that he recently paid Rs 260 for an auto ride from Basavanagudi to MG Road during non-peak hours.</p>.LPG crisis: Visible dip in number of autos plying on Bengaluru roads.<p>A Rapido spokesperson said the gross fare had been increased by only 5% per kilometre, and called claims of a 30 to 40% hike inaccurate.</p>.<p>"This marginal change is primarily a temporary response to recent rains, which naturally impact demand and supply availability. These minor adjustments serve to compensate our drivers for the increased difficulty of operating in monsoon conditions while maintaining service reliability," he said.</p>.<p>Ola, Uber and Namma Yatri did not respond to queries.</p>.<p><strong>PM's EV push may hurt LPG auto drivers: Transport body</strong></p>.<p>The Federation of Karnataka State Private Transport Associations met Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy on Tuesday and sought subsidies to help auto and cab drivers shift from LPG to CNG and electric vehicles.</p>.<p>"The recent push by Prime Minister Narendra Modi towards EV, public transport and carpooling will hurt the lives of drivers dependent on LPG. Drivers are ready to convert to CNG and EV. We urge both the central and state governments to provide subsidies to promote this change," said federation president S Nataraj Sharma.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: While auto unions urge the government to raise the minimum fare to Rs 50 to offset rising LPG prices, commuters say ride aggregator platforms have already raised fares.</p>.<p>Many commuters said app-based auto fares are now 30 to 40% higher than regular rates.</p>.<p>"Lately, there has been no difference between the outrageous fares that auto drivers demand and the fares displayed on app aggregator platforms. A 9-km ride from Vasanthnagar to Koramangala, which usually costs around Rs 170, has been costing over Rs 250 for the past two weeks. That is a big jump, and I can feel its impact on my monthly budget," said 23-year-old marketing professional Vaishali M.</p>.<p>On Tuesday evening, the same ride cost Rs 263 on Rapido, Rs 217 on Ola, Rs 220 on Uber, and Rs 204 on Namma Yatri.</p>.<p>On Monday evening, the same platforms, except Ola, displayed fares between Rs 220 and Rs 260 for an 8-km ride from MG Road to RT Nagar, against the average fare of Rs 170 to Rs 180. Ola displayed a fare of Rs 157, but no autos were available at that price.</p>.<p><strong>Users turn to AI tools </strong></p>.<p>To cope with rising fares, commuters have started using AI tools and third-party platforms to compare rates across aggregators.</p>.<p>"I was so frustrated with constantly having three to four apps open in an attempt to book an auto that I turned to AI for help. After some digging, I came across this platform called 'Buyhatke', which provides a comprehensive list of fares across all platforms once you feed it the location. That has been very helpful," said 29-year-old IT employee Kanishk Jain.</p>.<p>He added that he recently paid Rs 260 for an auto ride from Basavanagudi to MG Road during non-peak hours.</p>.LPG crisis: Visible dip in number of autos plying on Bengaluru roads.<p>A Rapido spokesperson said the gross fare had been increased by only 5% per kilometre, and called claims of a 30 to 40% hike inaccurate.</p>.<p>"This marginal change is primarily a temporary response to recent rains, which naturally impact demand and supply availability. These minor adjustments serve to compensate our drivers for the increased difficulty of operating in monsoon conditions while maintaining service reliability," he said.</p>.<p>Ola, Uber and Namma Yatri did not respond to queries.</p>.<p><strong>PM's EV push may hurt LPG auto drivers: Transport body</strong></p>.<p>The Federation of Karnataka State Private Transport Associations met Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy on Tuesday and sought subsidies to help auto and cab drivers shift from LPG to CNG and electric vehicles.</p>.<p>"The recent push by Prime Minister Narendra Modi towards EV, public transport and carpooling will hurt the lives of drivers dependent on LPG. Drivers are ready to convert to CNG and EV. We urge both the central and state governments to provide subsidies to promote this change," said federation president S Nataraj Sharma.</p>